


Port in a Storm

by zennie



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-24
Updated: 2016-10-24
Packaged: 2018-08-24 07:58:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,499
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8364199
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zennie/pseuds/zennie
Summary: Alex shows up on Maggie’s doorstep. May have a couple more parts.





	

**Author's Note:**

> This plot bunny came up, and apparently there was some mind-meld in the zennie-boxer household because we both rather liked the image of Alex showing up, soaked, at Maggie’s door. So consider this a variation on a theme. Boxer's contribution can be found [HERE](http://archiveofourown.org/works/8364400).

The knock on the door startled Maggie as she stood at her kitchen island, folding clothes into tidy piles. Surprised by both the unexpected visitor and the lateness of the hour, she snagged her service pistol from the counter as she crossed to the door to look through the peephole. The sight that greeted her had her swinging open the door immediately.

“Alex?” The agent stood on her doorstep, hair plastered to her head, water dripping from her leather jacket onto the tile. Without a second thought, Maggie hustled Alex inside, taking the motorcycle helmet from her fingers and grabbing her collar to peel her jacket off. “You’re soaked.”

“It’s raining,” Alex explained unnecessarily.

The rain had started hours ago, and Maggie wondered how long Alex had been out in it. She grabbed a towel from a pile and draped it across Alex’s shoulders, noting her sunken cheeks and blank eyes. It had only been a few days since she had last seen the agent, and Alex had been her normal, hardass self. Maggie’s eyes darted over the other woman’s body, looking for evidence of an injury, anything to explain the change. “Are you ok?”

“I was out riding.” Alex seemed to register her surroundings for the first time, looking at the small puddle around her feet where water was dripping from her clothes. “I’m making a mess. I should go.” 

Alex started to turn, and Maggie caught her hand, startled at how cold it was. She succeeded in turning Alex from the door and she ghosted her fingers over Alex’s cheek, the skin chilled and Alex’s lips quivering from cold. “You are freezing. Come on.” 

Tightening her grip on Alex’s hand, Maggie lead Alex to the bathroom, propping the other woman up against the counter as she knelt to get Alex’s boots off. The laces were wet and tight, and she struggled to untie them. Alex watched with dull eyes, offering no resistance but no help either, and Maggie frowned, worry churning in the pit of her stomach. Maggie finally loosened the ties and slid one boot, then the second, off, noting that even Alex’s heavy standard-issue wool socks were drenched. 

“You need to get out of these wet clothes. Do you,” she swallowed past a lump in her throat, suddenly realizing her awkward position in front of the other woman, ”do you need me to, ah, help you?” If she was honest with herself, Maggie would admit she’d had the occasional fantasy of undressing Alex Danvers, but this scenario had never made the list. 

The offer seemed to bring Alex out of her fugue state somewhat, and she looked around the room as if she were seeing it for the first time..“I can…” Her eyes closed and she rubbed at her forehead. “I don’t have a change of clothes.”

“I’ll bring you something, okay?” Alex nodded, and Maggie hurried out of the room as Alex pulled the towel from her shoulders and dropped it to the counter. Putting the teapot on the stove, Maggie grabbed a t-shirt and sweatpants from the pile of folded clothes.

“I think we’re about…” Maggie’s voice trailed off for a second as she turned the corner to find Alex standing in the bathroom in her underwear and a t-shirt. She knew she must have looked like a maniac, with her mouth hanging open at the sight of a beautiful woman half-naked in front of her, and she blushed as she shoved the bundle in her hands toward Alex. “I think we’re about the same size, but let me know if you need something else.”

Retreating to the kitchen, Maggie took a few moments to try to regain her composure, hearing Alex moving around the bathroom as she gathered tea bags, cups, and other ingredients. She hadn’t seen Alex in the last three days, an unusual absence since the first time Alex had strutted into her crime scene like she owned it. Since then, the other woman had been a persistent, gorgeous, leather-clad thorn in her side, always showing up on her cases, fighting about jurisdiction, or answering questions about aliens with a cutting tone that left no doubt about how she felt about police involvement in DEO matters. 

Butting heads didn’t even begin to describe their relationship, but underneath the public bickering, Maggie felt an undercurrent of mutual respect and admiration. At least, she hoped that’s what she felt. The fact that Maggie had developed a raging crush on the DEO agent had not helped one bit, but her type had always been brilliant, badass, and completely unapproachable, and Maggie was never one to learn from her mistakes in the romance department. Alex showing up on her doorstep, looking lost and alone and in need of comfort, was a surprising twist, and Maggie could already tell her string of bad luck with unobtainable straight woman was not about to break any time soon. Not when she was all-too-ready to jump in and provide whatever the other woman needed. 

The teapot whistled and Maggie set the tea to steep. Hearing quiet footsteps in the hallway, she turned to find Alex leaning against the wall, the simple pair of grey sweatpants and white v-neck t-shirt enhancing rather than detracting from Alex’s beauty. Her drying hair was tousled adorably, and Maggie’s breath caught in her throat, her fingers aching to run through the dark locks.

Alex’s eyes had lost a little of their vacant gaze, and now she just looked embarrassed. “Sorry, I…”

“Sit.” Maggie indicated the couch pointedly and Alex meekly did as she was told, watching as Maggie poured tea and squeezed lemon into the cups before joining her on the couch. She handed one to Alex, who took an experimental sip. “Hot toddy. I thought you might want something a little stronger than tea.”

Alex took a longer sip, the warmth and bourbon reviving her, and her lips curved into a small smile. “Good call, thanks.” She took a deep breath and glanced at Maggie, the expression on her face grateful and apologetic. “Sorry, I… shouldn’t have barged in on you like this. I know we’re not exactly friends...”

Maggie reached out and patted Alex’s leg, the touch cutting off the flow of words as Alex looked down, startled. “It’s ok.” She didn’t tell Alex that she very much wanted to be her friend, if nothing else, sensing this was not the time or the place to discuss their relationship. “I’m glad you came. What’s wrong?”

The haunted, lost look returned to Alex’s dark eyes as she bit her lip, the pain so close to the surface Maggie could see it. Tears threatened to spill even before she could speak, and Maggie tightened her grip on Alex’s leg. “I just don’t have many friends except my sister.” Alex choked on that last word, and she reached up to pinch the bridge of her nose, trying to stifle the tears. 

“What happened to Kara?”

“You know my sister.” 

It wasn’t a question, but Maggie answered anyway. “That young reporter who’s always following you around, trying to weasel in on my cases.” Alex didn’t say anything, letting the silence lengthen to prompt Maggie to say more. “And she’s Supergirl.” Alex’s chin dipped in a slight nod, as if she were expecting to hear that, and Maggie felt a little thrill in her guts to have confirmation. “I am a detective,” she explained with a shrug. “Is she okay?”

“I don’t know. She’s… missing.” A sob broke through and tears fell freely now. Her head dropped, and her hair fell forward, obscuring her face in a dark wave, and Maggie’s fingers itched to sweep it back and tuck it behind Alex’s ear. “We think… we hope… she’s been pulled into an alternate universe, but we don’t… know.”

So many questions flooded Maggie’s head, but she held her tongue, letting Alex continue. “We know this is possible because someone came here.” A deep breath steadied her, and Maggie could see the toll it was taking on Alex to hold herself together. Her heart contracted as she realized the strength of this beautiful woman across from her, and she fought the urge to wrap her arms around Alex and never let go.

Lost in her thoughts, Maggie realized that she had lost the thread of Alex’s words. “...a superhero with super speed or something like that…”

“I remember something about that on the news,” Maggie interjected. “He was from a, what? Alternate universe? How…?”

“We don’t know, exactly. I… wasn’t around when he was here.” As if she could feel Maggie’s questioning look, Alex shook her head. “It’s a long story. He worked with the DEO, but Supergirl apparently helped him and didn’t fully debrief. If we did, I could maybe…” She sucked in an unsteady breath, her whole body trembling. “But even if I… follow...” Her composure broke again, and this time Maggie didn’t resist. She caught Alex’s shoulder and pulled her into her arms, and after a second, Alex wrapped an arm around her and buried her head into Maggie’s neck.

Maggie held Alex while she cried, trying to follow the stream of words. “She could be… anywhere… hundreds of possibilities... I can’t... follow. I can’t… always brought her back…she’s always, I’ve always saved….” Maggie didn’t know the history, but the guilt and anguish in Alex’s voice was heartbreaking, like it was her job to save a superhero. 

Eventually Alex’s sobs quieted, and she grew relaxed and heavy in Maggie’s arms as Maggie’s fingers traced patterns along the muscles of Alex’s back. Her breathing evened out against the skin of Maggie’s neck, and she realized Alex had fallen asleep. Maggie shifted just enough to lie back, pulling the sleeping woman down with her, Alex’s head still nestled against her shoulder. Unable to resist, Maggie’s fingers idly combed through Alex’s hair, now mostly dried, and the feel of Alex weighing her down was like heaven. 

Eyes heavy, Maggie forced herself to stay awake, afraid how Alex would react if she woke up in Maggie’s arms. So she held Alex like she was precious, and Maggie wondered what she would think about all this in the morning. It had taken extreme distress to drive Alex here in this moment of weakness, but Maggie didn’t kid herself into assigning any significance to Alex’s choice. She was a port in the storm, nothing more, nothing less. The realization, though, did nothing to keep a tiny ray of hope from worming its way into her heart as she watched Alex sleep.

A buzzing interrupted her thoughts, and she realized it was coming from Alex’s jacket. Carefully, she slid out from under the agent, regretting the loss of Alex’s warmth almost immediately. She pulled the quilt from the back of the couch and tucked Alex in, smiling to herself when a light snore drifted up. 

Padding over to Alex’s leather jacket, Maggie searched her pockets until she found Alex’s phone tucked into an inside pocket. A long list of missed calls scrolled on the screen, and as if on cue, the phone in her hand buzzed again. Casting a worried glance to make sure Alex was still sleeping, she headed to the bathroom, shutting the door behind her. 

“Hello?”

“You’re not Alex.” The gruff voice on the other end was vaguely familiar and she strained for the name. 

“Hank? It’s Maggie. Maggie Sawyer.”

His voice sharpened. “Is Alex okay? Did something happen?”

“She’s fine. She’s sleeping.” 

The relief from the man on the other end was palpable. “Good. She was… distressed when she left the DEO and she hasn’t been answering her phone.”

“Any news?”

“She told you.”

“Yeah. She showed up here pretty strung out.”

His voice was resigned, but Maggie heard a hint of grudging approval. “No news on this side. I just… needed to know she was okay. Thanks.”

“No problem. I’m, ah, I’m going to keep her phone with me so it won’t wake her. She looks like she needs the sleep.”

“Understood. I’ll call you if we hear anything.”

“Thanks.”

“Goodnight, Detective Sawyer.” With that, the line disconnected with a click. 

Slipping the phone into her back pocket, Maggie gathered Alex’s wet clothes, hanging up the shirt and putting the jeans into the dryer. Then she returned to the kitchen, happy to see that Alex hadn’t so much as shifted on the couch. Tossing a towel down on the last of the water on the floor, she finished folding her clothes and then lingered over a finger of bourbon. Finally, she made sure that Alex was still tucked in, turned out all the lights, and with a last long look at the woman on her couch, she turned in. 

***  
Morning found her back in the kitchen, leaning on the island, watching as sunlight slowly warmed her living room and crept over Alex, bringing out the red in her dark hair and caressing her cheekbones like Maggie wished she could. She had slept fitfully, worried that the agent would wake up and sneak off in the night without a word, so she found herself up at dawn, sipping coffee and watching her sleep. She had it bad, she had to admit to herself; she couldn’t remember the last time the mere physical presence of a woman in her space had her so flustered or so preoccupied. 

Some rational part of her brain was screaming that it was a very bad idea to fall for a woman she worked with a on regular basis, but she never listened to that part of her brain until entirely too late. And if she was being honest with herself, it was too late about 5 seconds after she set her gaze on Alex and looked into those intense dark eyes glaring at her, daring Maggie to throw her out of the crime scene. She had been tempted to try, just to see what Agent Danvers would do, but she had enjoyed the view too much to give it much more than a half-hearted attempt. Since then, she had enjoyed putting up roadblocks for Alex, partially out of form and partially because seeing that woman angry caused all kinds of interesting sensations in the pit of Maggie’s stomach.

Last night simply made it more difficult to deny the depths to which she had sunk, like creepily watching a woman sleeping on her couch. At that moment, Alex’s eyelids fluttered and her eyes opened, darting around the room as she bolted upright on the couch. Startled, Maggie jumped up from her stool, reaching for a coffee cup in an attempt to appear like she was working in the kitchen. She turned back to Alex just in time to see Alex drop her head into her hand. “Shit.”

“Good morning to you too.”

The comforter had slid down to pool around Alex’s hips, the light striking the white t-shirt, a bright contrast with the dark hair that had fallen forward to hide Alex’s face, and Maggie swallowed past a lump in her throat. God, she was gorgeous, even with her hair a spiked mess and her eyes dulled from sleep. Alex was muttering, “Sorry, I… damn, I am so sorry… I…”

Maggie crossed to the couch and settled in beside Alex, placing the coffee cup on the table in front of the other woman. “Coffee, black?”

Alex’s voice was muffled by her hands. “Yeah.” Her head swiveled, dark eyes peering at Maggie from between dark strands of hair. “Maggie, I am so…”

“If you try to apologize one more time, I’m going to take that coffee back.” 

Alex’s mouth snapped shut, and Maggie glimpsed a fleeting smile on Alex’s lips before she snagged the cup from the coffee table, cradling it in her hands as she took a small sip. “I just feel horrible.” 

Maggie reached out and ran her fingers down Alex’s back, feeling tense muscles under the light caress, but Alex’s words stopped at the touch. “I told you, I’m glad you came. I’m glad you felt you could.” The muscles under her fingers relaxed by degrees, and when Alex finally straightened, sitting up and turning to face her, her eyes were clear and bright. The pain that had driven her here still lurked at the edges, along with something that Maggie didn’t know how to interpret, but that lost, lifeless look that had worried Maggie throughout the night was gone. 

A familiar warmth stirred in the pit of her stomach as she lost herself in those brown depths, and she had to look away before she betrayed herself. “I’m making breakfast.” Alex opened her mouth, and Maggie’s eyebrow arched, forestalling what she was going to stay. “It’s mandatory.”

Alex’s mouth twitched into a smile. “Mandatory?”

“For all women who sleep on my couch after riding motorcycles in the rain.” 

“Does that happen a lot?”

“You might be surprised.”

Alex stood, raising her hands above her head for a deep stretch, hiking the t-shirt up to expose her stomach, and Maggie felt her breath hitch. “I’m just... “ the agent indicated the bathroom, and Maggie nodded her head, not trusting her voice. A woman should not be allowed to look that sexy in a pair of baggy sweatpants and a white t-shirt, she decided. Once Alex disappeared into the bathroom, Maggie collected the coffee cups and busied herself in the kitchen, willing herself to concentrate on cooking. 

She was placing the last items on the island when Alex returned, dressed in the jeans and t-shirt from the night before, her hair tamed from the unruly bedhead it had been. “Thanks, for, um, drying my clothes. And the toothbrush.” Her eyes alighted on the spread on the island. “Wow.”

Maggie motioned for her to sit and poured her another cup of coffee. “I don’t get the chance to cook for anyone anymore,” she explained as she sat down opposite Alex. “At home, I used to cook Sunday breakfast for the whole family.” She scooped the chorizo-and-egg scramble onto a tortilla with a healthy spoonful of salsa, and Alex followed suit. 

“Big family?” Alex asked as she folded the tortilla and took a bite. 

“Yeah. Sister, brothers, and a whole brood of nieces and nephews. You?”

“Just me, my mom, and Kara.” Alex’s voice grew rough as she said her sister’s name, and Maggie winced. She laid her hand on Alex’s and squeezed as the other woman took a deep breath to steady herself. “It’s okay. I just… miss her. I want her home.”

Maggie’s heart broke at the anguish in Alex’s voice. “Is there anything I can do to help?”

“There’s not even anything I can do.” Alex curled her fingers to catch Maggie’s, and she returned the pressure before withdrawing. “These tortillas are amazing, by the way. Where do you get them?”

Maggie let her transparent attempt to change the subject stand, but she felt her cheeks warm and she looked down at her plate as she replied, “Here. I make them myself.”

“The salsa too?”

“Yeah.”

“Wow,” Alex said again. 

“I like to cook. How about you?”

“I order a mean pizza. And Chinese. All the delivery foods, really. I’m a connoisseur, when you think about it.”

Maggie snorted with laughter, glad to see a light in Alex’s eyes. “Well, I’m glad my humble tortillas meet your exacting standards.” 

Alex had three burritos and a healthy portion of fruit, confirming Maggie’s suspicion that the other woman had not been eating much, if at all. “That was amazing. I... don’t really know how to thank you.”

Maggie shrugged, fiddling with her fork. “That’s what friends are for.” She risked a glance up to see Alex nod her head, and giddiness washed over her just at the idea that Alex might consider her a friend. “Of course, if you really want to thank me, you can stop interfering in my investigations.”

“So long as your investigations don’t have jurisdictional overlap with my work, I won’t have to,” Alex retorted. She sighed then, and said, “I should go. I need to check in and go home to get cleaned up.” 

Alex tugged on her jacket, the leather stiff where it had dried overnight. When she turned around, Maggie was standing awkwardly by the door with Alex’s helmet.

“I, um….”

“It’s okay,” Maggie said to forestall any apology. “Any port in a storm, right?”

Alex’s eyes grew troubled, and her head tilted to the side as she regarded Maggie seriously. In a sudden move, she pulled Maggie into a rough, tight hug, her fingers fisting in Maggie’s t-shirt as Maggie wrapped her free arm around Alex’s waist. Inhaling her scent, feeling the length of her body against her own, robbed Maggie of her breath. She closed her eyes, her knees starting to buckle as Alex’s warm breath stirred Maggie’s hair and she whispered, “Thank you.”

Breaking apart, Alex took her helmet from Maggie’s nerveless fingers and disappeared, leaving Maggie to collapse against the door.


End file.
